HC Deb 03 May 1988 vol 132 cc379-81W
Mrs. Fyfe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were(a) the original financial thresholds specified for each category of work for which local authorities were required to seek competitive tenders in the Local Government, Planning and Land (Scotland), Act 1980, (b) the dates on which these original thresholds became

Category of work Level of threshold from 1 April 1982 Level of threshold from 1 April 1984
General road works Jobs with an individual value of more than £100,000. Jobs with an individual value of more than £50,000.
Jobs amounting to £50,000 or less in excess of 70 per cent. by value of the total of such work in the previous financial year (whether undertaken by contractor or DLO).1
General water and sewerage works Jobs with an individual value of more than £50,000. No change
New construction works Jobs with an individual value of more than £50,000. No change
Jobs amounting to £50,000 or less if award of the work to the DLO would result in the DLO having carried out in that financial year at least two thirds of the aggregate value of similar work which it carried out in the previous year. Jobs amounting to £50,000 or less in excess of 40 per cent. by value of the total of such work in the previous financial year (whether undertaken by contractor or DLO).

effective, (c) the date on which these thresholds were subsequently amended and (d) the revised financial thresholds specified for each category of works on each occasion.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The Act in question is, in fact, the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. The information requested is shown in the table.

Category of work Level of threshold from 1 April 1982 Level of threshold from 1 April 1984
Maintenance work Jobs with an individual value of more than £10,000. No change.
Jobs amounting to £10,000 or less in excess of either 40 per cent. by value of the total of such work in the previous financial year (whether undertaken by contractor or DLO) or £300,000, whichever is the higher.2
1 Subject to transitional arrangements for 1984–85 only under which, for jobs amounting to £50,000 or less, up to 90 per cent. of the amount of such work undertaken by the DLO in the previous financial year could be awarded to the DLO without competition provided this was more than 70 per cent. of the total of such work commissioned by the authority in that year.
2 Subject to transitional arrangements for 1984–85 only under which, for jobs amounting to £10,000 or less, up to 80 per cent. of the amount of such work undertaken by the DLO in the previous financial year could be awarded to the DLO without competition provided this was more than 40 per cent. of the total of such work commissioned by the authority in that year.